Sean Duggan, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Network, has commented on new analysis by YoungMinds on how promised mental health is being used for other areas of healthcare. He said it highlights the need for imminent (23 December 2016 deadline) two-year contracts to help speed-up mental health funding.

“Last year the Government committed an additional £1.25 billion to mental health services for children and young people over five years.

“That promise will simply not be fulfilled unless the pace of funding quickens. Children and young people’s mental healthcare is quite simply underfunded at a time when this age group is suffering from rising mental health problems.

“NHS commissioners’ contract negotiations for the next two years will close on 23 December. There is a serious and pressing need for these contracts to get things back on track by moving promised funding from the commissioners to frontline services. This is currently our biggest opportunity to improve mental health services and we cannot afford to waste it.

“The best evidence shows that, pound-for-pound, mental health services make a cost-effective contribution to public health. Their expansion is important if the NHS is to remain sustainable and if patients are to receive a well-rounded experience of care.”